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Africa’s first gay and inclusive competitive rugby club has launched a bold new initiative to recruit more players.

London - Homosexual
and lesbian sportspeople could be encouraged to come out based on the
results of a BBC poll which found 82% of sports fans would not be upset
if their club signed a gay player.

Nevertheless the BBC Radio 5 live poll - which took soundings from
4 000 people - also reveals 8% of football fans would cease supporting
their club if they sign a gay player.

And 50% of football fans polled said they had heard homophobic abuse at matches - compared to 59% who heard racist abuse.

However, 71% of football fans polled also said clubs should educate fans on homophobia.

Supporters' attitude to homosexual players does remain an area of
concern certainly for the governing body of English football, the
Football Association.

Greg Clarke, chairperson of the FA, told the House of Commons Culture,
Media and Sports Committee last week he would not encourage players to
come out - former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger is probably
the most high profile footballer to reveal his homosexuality but he
waited till he had retired.

Clarke said he was "personally ashamed" there were players who did
not feel "safe" to come out, and promised to "stamp down hard" on
homophobic behaviour in the game.

Clarke's remarks, though, were lambasted by former Blackburn and Celtic star Chris Sutton, who classified the 8% as 'cavemen'.

"Coming out wouldn't be a problem in the workplace," Sutton told the BBC.

"Working at a football club is just like anywhere else. Players I played with wouldn't bat an eyelid.

"This 8% shouldn't be allowed in football grounds. By not taking it
on, the 8% are the winners in all of this. Greg Clarke should be taking
these people on.

"It's bonkers in our society that people like this can dictate
whether someone can come out or not," added Sutton, who won the 1995
Premier League title with Blackburn.

Despite Sutton's remarks the precedent of Justin Fashanu remains a
sobering experience for those who may be gay and thinking of coming out.

The talented striker is the only player who while playing in England
revealed he was gay in 1990 - he subsequently never settled going
through 12 clubs in seven years and tragically hanged himself in 1998
aged 37.

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